Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kepong and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kepong: $909 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Kepong
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Kepong Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kepong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$909

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kepong and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kepong and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $909 per month in Kepong vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kepong $909
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,366 per month in Kepong vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kepong $1,366
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,823 per month in Kepong vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kepong $1,823
Nosara $3,818

Kepong is about 51% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kepong sits 33% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.31

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.50 MYR 100.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-59.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 MYR 20.13

$7.52 ₡3,373

-34.31%

Cappuccino

$3.01 MYR 12.28

$4.41 ₡1,978

-31.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$1.74 ₡780

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$1.31 ₡587

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 MYR 13.86

$3.28 ₡1,471

3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 MYR 23.81

$4.47 ₡2,004

30.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.56 ₡701

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.81

$2.51 ₡1,125

-43.43%

Eggs

$1.80 MYR 7.34

$3.57 ₡1,603

-49.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MYR 40.00

$7.43 ₡3,333

32.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 MYR 13.47

$10.52 ₡4,717

-68.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 MYR 39.08

$13.97 ₡6,265

-31.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MYR 13.51

$2.35 ₡1,052

40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.91

$1.61 ₡720

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.06

$4.80 ₡2,152

-43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.93

$1.61 ₡724

5.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.99

$3.80 ₡1,703

-61.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.77

$3.69 ₡1,657

-55.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$1.13 ₡507

16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.22

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 17.00

$5.18 ₡2,321

-19.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 MYR 56.7

$19.88 ₡8,916

-30.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MYR 10.90

$2.90 ₡1,300

-7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$3.63 ₡1,626

-17.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$1.12 ₡504

-26.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.06 MYR 49.18

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-83.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$2.14 ₡958

-53.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.56

$1.57 ₡703

-75.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.05 MYR 36.91

$8.52 ₡3,823

6.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.53

$1.52 ₡682

-43.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

91.10%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.24%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$49.51 MYR 202

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-48.58%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.27 MYR 33.74

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-76.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.27 MYR 111

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-49.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 MYR 159

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-45.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.74 MYR 27.48

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-80.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MYR 19.82

$7.89 ₡3,539

-38.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$164 MYR 668

$494 ₡221.6K

-66.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,528 MYR 18.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-61.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 MYR 223

$53.9 ₡24.2K

1.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.36 MYR 99.4

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-56.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 MYR 336

$77.9 ₡34.9K

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 MYR 345

$79.6 ₡35.7K

6.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 MYR 1,649

$788 ₡353.4K

-48.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MYR 1,235

$794 ₡356.2K

-61.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 MYR 2,726

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-83.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,967

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-66.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,997 MYR 8,147

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-71.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,073 MYR 4,378

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-12.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$644 MYR 2,628

$864 ₡387.3K

-25.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

8.62

-52.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kepong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kepong

$303 33.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 162% $491

Groceries & Markets

Kepong

$228 25.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 54.3% $124

Eating Out

Kepong

$115 12.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 84.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Kepong

$111 12.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 8.5% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kepong

$85 9.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 118% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Kepong

$49 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 79.3% $39

Getting Around

Kepong

$18 2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 378% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Kepong versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kepong versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $352 – making Kepong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kepong

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

14 h behind Kepong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,960

4,912

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kepong Nosara 18,340 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Kepong
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kepong vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $909 in Kepong, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,363 per month in Kepong and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kepong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 502% less in Kepong. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $164 per month in Kepong and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kepong, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kepong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $909 in Kepong to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kepong. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.